Red Ribbon targets selling 4.2M packs of macaroons

CEBU, Philippines - Red Ribbon is now working hand in hand with Apl.de.Ap Foundation and Franklin Baker Company in a cause that aims to address one of the issues hounding the education sector, which is the severe lack of classrooms.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics Database, there are around 1.5 million out-of-school youths recorded in 2011 while the Department of Education reported that the Philippine public school system lacked about 70, 000 classrooms for the school year 2011-2012 alone.

Given this statistics, the three entities have forged an alliance and came up with the “Macaroons for a Cause” to help uplift education in the Philippines that is being crippled by the lack of interest of Filipino children, lack of nearby schools and severe shortage of classrooms nationwide.

Last Friday, Red Ribbon launched the “Macaroons for a Cause” in Cebu, which targets to sell around 4.2 million packs of macaroons, the proceeds of which will be used to help build new school buildings across the country.

For every pack of macaroons sold, 14 percent or P7 goes directly to the Apl.de.Ap Foundation to help build a school building that will pave the way for students to gain access to education.

Once the targeted sales of 4.2 million packs of macaroons will be achieved, the first beneficiary of the project will be Zamboanga.

Zamboanga reportedly has a shortage of 160 school buildings and is listed to be one of the provinces in the country that are in need of basic education facilities.

The nationwide campaign which started on the first week of July is believed to benefit more than 600 students once the school will be completed.

Each pack of the Macaroons for a Cause that contains 10 pieces of macaroons is priced at P50 and is sold at Red Ribbon Bakeshops nationwide.

Red Ribbon was established in 1979 as an all Filipino-owned small cakes and pastry shop in Timog Avenue, Quezon City but was fully acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation in 2005.

Apl.de.Ap Foundation, on the other hand, is a non-government charitable organization that is committed to improving the quality of life of children in the Philippines through education, technology and music.

Allan Pineda who is more popularly known as Apl.de.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas founded the foundation as a way of giving back to his country of birth.

Drawing from his own life experience during his formative years as a native of Angeles City, Pampanga, he considers education as the ticket to better life.

The foundation believes that this shall empower Filipino children to pursue their interests in becoming global professionals in the fields of music and technology.

Meanwhile, Franklin Baker is a global natural ingredient company and is the leading branded coconut ingredient company in the United States for over 100 years. /JOB (FREEMAN)